Diagnosing And Soothing Baby’s Eczema

The age-old term ‘soft as a baby’s bottom’ doesn’t necessarily apply to infants suffering with baby eczema. One day your newborn may be as smooth-faced as that proverbial baby’s tush, but another that sweet babe is cranky from the itch and discomfort of an infant eczema flare-up.

Diagnosing Eczema In Baby

Eczema in babies is not uncommon, but it might be missed early on. When the expected four-week rash emerges, many parents and doctors don’t recognize at first that what they think is baby acne is eczema. Sometimes it is not until additional symptoms (weeping, scaling) occur and the rash does not clear that it is diagnosed as eczema.

Realistically, the entire body can be affected by infant eczema. The face is often the first place infant eczema is seen, and it is not uncommon for eczema to appear first around the time of the four-week old, or one month rash. It is also possible that the two rashes are both present at the same time. But while baby’s one month rash is usually only on the face, a rash beyond the face, like eczema on baby head or body areas, can be assumed to be something else.

Parents may find it helpful to locate a baby eczema picture to determine if their infant’s skin rash is a normal baby rash or if it something more involved like eczema. Diagnosis of baby eczema is important to how the rash is handled, that’s why it is a good idea to look up some good quality baby eczema pictures. Treatment should be discussed with the baby’s doctor when (if) eczema is diagnosed.

Treating Baby Eczema

Baby eczema treatment will center on treating and preventing flare-ups and looking for triggers of skin eruptions. Doctors will look for a few things. Sometimes conditions (baby eczema & lupus or autoimmune disease) run together, such as is the case with an allergy and eczema. Infant allergies or sensitivities to detergents, chemicals, soaps, and perfume lotions can trigger eczema reactions. Simply finding out your baby has eczema is not cause for alarm in itself, as eczema can just be as simple as having delicate, irritable skin. For babies that do show signs of chemical and detergent sensitivity, infant eczema treatment should include special care when laundering the clothing worn by a baby with baby eczema. Clothing can be washed in a laundry detergent formulated for babies, or an all-purpose detergent that is free of perfumes and dyes.

Infant eczema may make baby uncomfortable during periods of eczema fare-ups, but largely eczema is a very manageable skin disorder that children can outgrow. Whether a baby outgrows their eczema or not will remain to be seen, but regardless, baby and childhood eczema is easily treated through medication and preventative measures.